Ceremony to honor Black Civil War Soliders

FREMONT — President Rutherford B. Hayes' yearlong 200th Birthday Celebration will wrap up on Sunday, Oct. 1 with three special events at Spiegel Grove in Fremont that are free and open to the public. There will be a reverse parade, wreath-laying at the president's tomb and dedication of a tree to Civil War soldiers in the U.S. Colored Troops who had ties to Sandusky County. Ice cream and lemonade will be served after the festivities. The reverse parade through Spiegel Grove will take place at 1 p.m. Details about this event are to be announced, and updates will be posted at rbhayes.org. After the parade, the annual wreath-laying at the tomb will take place around 1:45 p.m. Military representatives sent by President Joe Biden will lay a wreath at the president's tomb for his 201st birthday, which is Wednesday, Oct. 4. During the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Matthew Baker, commanding general of the 88th Readiness Division, U.S. Army Reserve, and Hayes Presidential Executive Director Christie Weininger will speak. Chaplain Maj. Daniel Hamman of the 302 Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, U.S. Army Reserve, also will participate. Specialist Mindy Strahl, bugler of the 338th Army Reserve Band, U.S. Army Reserve, will play "Taps," and local veterans will give a gun salute. After the wreath-laying, Hayes Presidential will dedicate an oak tree and commemorative brick near the rose garden path to Civil War soldiers in the U.S. Colored Troops who had ties to Sandusky County. The dedication is the result of a research project into the stories of these soldiers completed by Weininger, curator of Manuscripts Julie Mayle; associate curator of manuscripts Nan Card; and Hayes Presidential board member and volunteer Regina Vincent-Williams. Through their research, the group identified more than two dozen soldiers with ties to Sandusky County. They lived here, were born here or worked here during their lives. The group plans to continue unearthing more information about local soldiers in the USCT. For information, call 419-332-2081 or visit rbhayes.org.